The present disclosure relates in general to a container for solid or semi-solid materials, and more specifically to a container or dispenser for use with a glue stick or the like, wherein a closure for effectively sealing the container is integrated into the container.
Glue sticks are typically solid or semi-solid adhesives that are provided in twist tubes, push-up tubes, or similar dispensers. The user of such products may dispense the adhesive by removing a cap and holding the open tube, thus keeping their fingers relatively clean. Because of their ease of use and their recognized economic value, glue sticks are a popular school and office supply item. Glue sticks are usually designed to glue paper and card materials together, and are not typically as strong as some liquid-based variants. Glue sticks may be used for craft and design, office use, and at schools or other places of education and creativity. Permanent, washable, acid-free, non-toxic, solvent free, and dyed (e.g., to assist the user in seeing where the glue is being applied) varieties of glue stick products are commercially available with the most common sizes being 8 g, 25 g, 36 g, and 40 g.
Despite the popularity and widespread use of glue sticks, the containers or dispensers provided with such products still, in almost all cases, include a removable cap that can be easily misplaced, lost, or broken. Without a properly sealing cap, the adhesive will dry out and become useless. The loss of a functional cap may also result in the dispensing of adhesive onto various surfaces where its use was not intended. Thus, there is an ongoing need for a container for use with glue sticks or other materials that provides both an effective means for dispensing the product and a properly sealing closure that cannot be easily broken or lost.